1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluid container used for dripping in the medical field.
2. Discussion of the Background
Hitherto, a powder-filled drug or a freeze-dried drug contained in a container such as a vial is dissolved with a diluent and used as a solution for dripping. In that case, a container containing the above-mentioned drug and a container containing a diluent are connected to each other using a connector such as a double-edged needle or communicating pipe. The diluent is moved into the container for drug to dissolve drug therewith. Such procedure is, however, complicated and time consuming. Moreover, there is a possibility of the drug in the container being contaminated because a hole for connection is formed on the container for drug in the open air.
In order to solve the above problem, there is proposed a fluid container as shown in Kohyo Tokkyo Koho No. 501129/1986 (which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,971).
As shown in FIG. 25, the fluid container has a capsule 102 encasing a vial 101, i.e. a drug container, and a flexible bag 103 containing a diluent and having a fluid outlet. The capsule 102 and bag 103 are connected to each other by a tube 104. In the tube 104, a hollow needle 105 is provided on the side of vial 101 while a breaking member 106 is provided on the side of flexible bag 103. The breaking member 106 closes a passage of the tube 104 and obstructs a flow of fluid.
In use, a cap 107 on the top of the capsule 102 is pushed with a finger to push down the vial 101. The needle 105 penetrates a rubber plug 108 of the vial 101 so that the flexible bag 103 and the vial 101 are connected to each other. Next the breaking member 106 in the tube 104 is bent with hands to open a passage of the tube 104 and to mix the drug and the diluent.
The above fluid container is improved in the point that mixing procedure is performed by communicating a drug container to a flexible bag containing a diluent. The mixing procedure is still troublesome since a passage for diluent must be opened by bending a breaking member 106 with the hands of the attendant after sticking a rubber plug 108 of a vial 101 with a needle 105. Moreover, when the bending of the breaking member 106 is incomplete, the diluent is hard to pass through the tube so that it takes a significant amount of time to carry out the dissolution of drug.
The present invention was made to solve the above drawbacks, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a fluid container for enabling sure and easy communication between a drug container and a diluent and which is capable of shortening the time required for the mixing of the drug and diluent after they are communicated.